As environmental issues worsen yearly, the need to promote sustainability continues to grow. More and more consumers are acknowledging the importance of reducing their carbon footprint to help save the earth from irreversible damage.
That said, many corporations have taken steps to lower their environmental impact. This move allows them to protect the planet while tapping into a growing market of green consumers. Furthermore, adopting eco-friendly practices can improve their reputation and reduce overhead costs.
However, it may be challenging for small enterprises with limited resources to integrate sustainability into their business strategy. Properly implementing green initiatives and acquiring sustainably sourced materials takes time and money.
Thankfully, going green doesn’t have to be extensive and costly. You can take simple and practical actions to make your business more sustainable. Here are a few affordable ways you can start.
3 Ways You Can Ensure Business Sustainability
1. Give Commuter Benefits To Employees
Private transport is a significant source of greenhouse gases, with emissions increasing yearly. Hence, it’s better to use public transport systems like trains and buses for daily travel.
Accordingly, small and medium businesses can motivate their employees to frequent mass transit instead of driving private cars by giving them public transportation benefits.
Many mass transport systems offer subsidized fares for companies, so consider adding this to your staff’s benefits package.
2. Make saving energy a priority
Energy consumption varies for every organization, depending on its size and industry. However, businesses generally consume tens of thousands of kWh per year. Switching to renewable energy is an excellent long-term option, but the upfront costs of purchasing and installing equipment are pretty steep.
Here are free ways you can minimize power consumption in your office:
i. Turn on power management systems
Ensure that all your office computers have the power management mode on. After a period of inactivity, this system will put a desktop or laptop computer into low-power settings, and you can just touch a key to wake it up again.
ii. Shut down all tech before leaving
It’s also a good idea to turn off desktops and the rest of your office equipment at the end of each workday. Although this may not significantly lower your overall energy use, it can still make a difference. Hence, if you’re not using a machine, turn it off!
iii. Reduce artificial lighting
Maximizing natural light in your workspace is a terrific way to save energy. Not to mention, adequate exposure to natural light can improve the mood and wellbeing of your staff.
See to it that daylight enters your office through doors and windows, and no huge pieces of furniture or appliances are blocking them. If you have an extra budget to spare, get a skylight installed to admit daylight more quickly and steadily into your office.
Choose a bright color scheme for your walls and furnishings to reflect the light around your workspace. Motion-sensitive lights are ideal for saving energy when natural light is insufficient since they only turn on when required and do not need to be manually turned off.
iv. Switch to eco-friendly office products
Many consumables businesses need to run smoothly, such as printer paper, cleaning supplies, and to-go containers, can harm the environment due to their hazardous manufacturing processes. They also usually end up as trash after use.
Office managers can look at labels to check a product’s manufacturing method or whether it uses sustainably sourced materials. For instance, buying tissue crafted from recycled paper or chairs made from converted plastic waste is better.
There are also cleaning solvents that do not use hazardous chemicals. Choose products with natural ingredients to keep dangerous substances from polluting streams and landfills.
v. Opt for second-hand furniture
Manufacturing new office furniture like tables, chairs, couches, and desks requires a lot of energy and raw materials. Consider purchasing old, pre-loved pieces instead to decorate your workplace. You can also salvage furniture left by businesses that move out of your commercial building.
Opting for second-hand items can prevent perfectly functional furniture from being discarded in favor of fleeting style trends. Plus, you can build a unique look instead of most offices’ typical contemporary interior design.
vi. Use sustainable product packaging
Another great way to make your business more environmentally friendly is to switch to sustainable packaging.
You can adopt sustainable packaging practices by forgoing single-use plastic. Instead, opt for biodegradable materials, reusable paper or cardboard boxes, and bags made from natural fibers. Plus, by ensuring that your product packaging is durable and aesthetically pleasing, your customers will be more likely to keep them.
The most important thing to remember is to use as little packaging as possible. Consider the item you’re packing. Is it fragile? How big is it? Is there any way to cut down the amount or size of the packaging material? Try to reduce the packaging without compromising product safety and quality.
3. Encourage your employees to reduce, reuse, and recycle
The most effective strategy to keep garbage out of landfills is to create less trash in the first place. The sequence of the 3Rs is critical. To begin, cut down your usage of non-recyclable goods whenever possible. Your staff could opt for reusable glasses, mugs, and utensils rather than disposable cups, plates, and cutleries.
Reuse items whenever possible. Boxes make good storage tools, so don’t throw them out if they are still physically intact. You could also encourage your employees to utilize both sides of copy paper.
Recycling offers the next best choice when reducing or reusing is not an option. You can bring discarded items like old or damaged appliances and electronics to recycling facilities. Many communities also supply recycling containers to simplify the recycling process, making it much easier to leave the garbage can almost empty.
The Takeaway
Consumers are beginning to realize the environmental repercussions of their day-to-day actions. Therefore, businesses of all sizes should constantly monitor consumer sentiment to adapt to changing purchasing patterns and behaviors.
Because each company is unique, the measures taken by one may not always work for another, so while the tips we’ve provided are generally practical, they are not a one-size-fits-all solution. Moreover, your firm’s environmental impact will depend on its size and the industry to which it belongs. Hence, develop sustainable initiatives that suit your operations.
Climate change and global warming are serious dilemmas faced worldwide. Accordingly, individuals and businesses have roles to play in protecting the environment. We can help slow and reverse the harmful effects by reducing our carbon footprint and conserving the earth’s nonrenewable resources.
Read Also:
- 7 Ways to Make Your Small Business More Sustainable
- Cosmetic Boxes For Small Businesses: 5 Ideas For Inspiration
- How A Healthy Lifestyle Can Give You An Advantage in Business
Author: Adam
